How to Get Rid of Inner Thigh Fat

Part 1 of 6: Low-Fat, Low-Calorie Diet

1

Understand the principle behind the diet. Low-fat, low-calorie diets work because you end up storing a limited amount of calories in forms that are easy for your body to burn off.[1]

There is no way to target nothing but the fat in your thighs by diet alone. Your best option is to target fat, in general, to reduce the amount of fat stored in your body overall. Combining a diet like this with thigh-toning exercises will help your body target the fat in your thighs.

The body stores ingested fat with remarkable ease. Unfortunately, it does not burn that fat off with the same sort of zeal. This is especially true of thigh fat. Someone with excess thigh fat is carrying extra subcutaneous fat. While this type of fat usually goes hand-in-hand with healthy cholesterol levels and a decreased risk of heart failure, it also has less blood flow, making it harder to get rid of.

By comparison, your body expends much more energy storing carbohydrates and proteins, making them more favorable than fats.

The balance between calories ingested and calories burned is a matter of simple math. Every action your body performs burns a certain number of calories, but every food or drink you ingest adds calories. More stored calories leads to more weight gain. A low-calorie diet limits the amounts of calories you ingest so that your body has enough energy to burn but does not have many excess calories remaining afterward.

2

Limit your intake of saturated fats. Saturated fats are less beneficial to your body than unsaturated fats and are usually found in animal sources, like dairy and meat, as well as hydrogenated oils.

Palm and coconut oils contain the highest amount of saturated fat, but butter and rendered animal fats like lard and shortening contain a considerable amount of saturated fat, as well. Fish oil, for all its healthy omega-3 fatty acids, also contains a high percentage of saturated fat.[2]

Dried coconut, cheese, nuts, seeds, processed meats, and whipped cream are other examples of foods notably high in saturated fats. Many foods found in fast food restaurants are also notoriously high in saturated fat.

It is important to note that you should limit, not exclude, saturated fats from your diet. The occasional saturated fat is fine, especially if it offers other health benefits like fish or nuts do. You simply need to limit the amount you consume.

Include more milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese in your diet. These dairy sources are lower in fat than most hard cheeses, creams, and butters.

6

Reduce your overall calorie intake. Most moderately active women should reduce their calorie intake to 1200 to 1500 calories daily, while moderately active men should reduce their intake to 1500 to 1800 calories daily.

Do not drop your diet to fewer than 1000 calories daily, for women, or 1200 calories daily, for men.

Avoid eating more than 35 to 60 grams of fat daily.

Consume 170 to 240 grams of carbohydrates.

Eat between 55 and 95 grams of proteins.

7

Avoid diet-busters. While there is some room for forgiveness in your diet, there are certain foods and drinks that are more likely to throw your diet off altogether. These should be avoided as much as possible.

Processed foods are a major source of hydrogenated oils. Avoid greasy fast food, boxed meals from the grocery store, or prepackaged snacks.

Restrict your alcohol intake. Women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day to avoid ingesting extra calories.

Part 2 of 6: Side and Crossover Lunge[5]

1

Stand with your feet together. Your arms should be down by your sides.

Keep your posture straight but relax your shoulders.

This exercise tones your inner thighs by exercising them from numerous angles. It will also help to tone your rear and midsection, but its primary target is the inner thigh region.

2

Take a wide side-step with your left foot. Bend your left knee, pushing your hips behind you as you step out.

Your right leg should stay extended and your weight should shift to the left side of the body, over your left knee.

Keep your back straight and your face forward as you move.

3

Touch the ground with your fingertips. Your arms should be on either side of your left foot.

Continue keeping your back straight and eyes forward.

4

Cross your legs as you stand back up. Ease yourself up by pushing off with your left foot. As you stand, cross your left foot over your right.

5

Immediately bend and touch the floor. Bend your knees and touch the ground on either side of your left foot with your fingertips.

6

Stand up and repeat. Stand up, pushing off with your left foot, and return to your starting position with your feet together and your hands at your side.

Repeat this exercise 15 times with your left leg and 15 times with your right leg for each set.

Perform three sets.

Part 3 of 6: Scissor Kicks[6]

1

Lie flat on your back. Your heels should also be flat on the ground and your hands should be palm-side-down at your sides.

Your legs should be completely flat against the ground.

Scissor kicks are another exercise designed to tone the muscles in your inner thigh. They also help to tone your lower abdomen.

Your feet and knees should be completely off the ground, but your thighs will still be partially flat.

3

Cross your legs back and forth. Perform a scissor-like motion with your legs, lifting one high off the ground as you move the other one lower to the ground.

You will not actually cross one leg over the other, but your thighs may need to squeeze together with each pass.

Your lower abdominal and inner thigh muscles must remain tightened throughout the exercise.

Continue with this motion for 8 seconds.

4

Rest and repeat. Return to your starting position with your legs flat on the ground. Rest for 5 to 10 seconds before repeating.

Repeat the exercise six to eight times per set.

Work yourself up to doing three sets during each exercise regimen.

Part 4 of 6: Inner Thigh Squeeze

1

Choose an exercise ball. Exercise balls come in various sizes, so you should choose one that feels comfortable for you.[7]

As a general guideline, someone between the heights of 5’1″ (155 cm) and 5’7″ (170 cm) should choose a 55-cm ball.

Someone between the heights of 5’8″ (173 cm) and 6’1″ (185 cm) should try a 65-cm ball

Someone 6’2″ (188 cm) or taller might do best with a 75-cm ball.

Slightly deflate the ball if you are just starting out to make it easier to use. As you get stronger, inflate the ball more.

2

Lie flat on the floor. Hold your exercise ball between your thighs.

Your legs should be slightly lifted in the air. Do not keep them flat on the ground.

3

Squeeze the ball slightly. Apply just enough pressure to hold the ball in place but do not use all of your strength yet.

4

Squeeze the ball tightly. Slowly squeeze the ball as much as you can using your inner thigh muscles.

If necessary, place your hands palm-side-down on the floor for support.

Continue to keep your legs raised.

5

Rest and repeat as desired. Squeeze the ball 5 to 15 times, depending on your current leg strength. Rest and continue until your muscles begin to feel tired.

Part 5 of 6: Squat Lifts

1

Use a resistance band. While squat lifts can be done without the use of a resistance band, they are more effective when a resistance band is used.

Squat lifts work the inner thigh and improve both stability and balance.

If you do not have a resistance band, use ankle weights to at least increase the amount of work performed by your thigh muscles. The motions are still the same, even without the use of a resistance band.

2

Place one end of the resistance band around your left ankle. The other end should be attached to a sturdy, still object like a heavy desk or piece of furniture.

The portion around your ankle should only be loosely tense. Your legs should be slightly apart.

Place your hands on your hips as you perform this exercise.

3

Step out with your right leg. The knee of your right leg should be slightly bent into a squat.

Your left leg should be extended out and to the side.

4

Lift out your left foot. Gradually straighten your right leg as you shift your left foot out and in front of your right leg.

Your left foot should be off the ground and your thighs should cross.

Your weight should shift over your right foot.

5

Rest and repeat. Return your legs to your original starting position and repeat the movement 8 times with your left leg and 8 times with your right.

Each set should have a total of 16 repetitions.

Work yourself up to performing three sets during each round of exercise.

Part 6 of 6: Side Lying Hip Adduction[8]

1

Lie down flat on your side. Your legs should be straight out with one foot stacked on top of the other.

This exercise targets the adductors, a muscle group that extends from your pubic bone to your femur along the inside portion of your legs.

If necessary, bend your bottom arm and place it under your head for support. Rest the other arm at your side, letting your hand fall on your upper hip.

Your hips and shoulders should be perpendicular to the floor and your head should be aligned straight with your spine.